This invention relates to automatic ice maker which automatically provides transparent ice cubes and a household refrigerator equipped therewith.
In household refrigerators equipped with automatic ice makers, the automatic ice maker comprises an ice tray provided in an ice making compartment. Water is supplied into the ice tray by pump means and the water in the ice tray is made into ice. When the temperature of the ice tray sensed by a temperature sensor mounted on the ice tray reaches a predetermined ice making completion temperature, a drive mechanism is operated to invert the ice tray containing ice so that ice cubes are removed from the ice tray, thereby reserving the ice cubes in an ice reserving box. Subsequently, water is re-supplied into the ice tray and made into ice. Such an ice making operation is reiteratively performed.
In the above-described ice making manner, the chilled air contacts every side of the ice tray nearly uniformly and accordingly, the water is frozen nearly uniformly over the whole. Consequently, air bubbles are often left in the ice cubes and render the ice cubes opaque. An ice maker which supplies transparent ice cubes have been desired.